HESE
VOLUMES,
once called luxury editions, have
to meet certain criteria in order to merit the term livres dartiste:
they must be meticulously typeset and printed on highest quality
paper, presented in bindings and casings of distinction and, finally,
published only in limited editions.( ) The books materials
and appearance are quite definitely as important as the texts and
engravings themselves: all elements must flow together smoothly to
form a work of art whose components blend into total harmony.
(Jean-Pierre Duquette in issue 48 of the journal Ellipse.)

OW
RELEVANTis
the publication of le livre dartiste today? Is it pure
nostalgia? It is a blend of past and present, the product of numerous
encounters between image and text, print and poetry, typography
and paper, handpress and computer, binding and jewellery, ancient
crafts and modern means of communication. This book-as-object continually
brings together elements from near and far. For example, Conversations
with a Toad, by Robert Bringhurst, combines a major text of
contemporary Canadian poetry with four traditions that, until now,
have had no common point of contact:

 THE
SUBJECTthe toaddraws inspiration from the art of indigenous
peoples of the West Coast ;
 TYPOGRAPHIC RESEARCH characteristic of the English bibliophile
edition;
 the importance given to THE ENGRAVING, as it is in the French
riches illustrations; and
 JAPANESE ENGRAVING and printing techniques.